Ammunition conveyer



y 9, 1946. w. THOMAS ETAL 2,403,884

AMMUNITION CONVEYER' Original Filed Aug. 29, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvzmons J WILLIAM THOMAS ATTORNEY av RALPH L. TWEE our J y 1946- w. THOMAS ET'AL 2,403,884

AMMUNITION C(IJNVEYER ori inal Filed Au 29. 1956 5 Shee ts-Sheeg s a S A.

m L M w ALPH L. TWEEDALE July 9, 1946. w. THOMAS ETAL s Sheets-Sheet 4 AMMUNITION CONVEYER Original Filed Aug. 29', 1936 CYLINDER TURNS F 880 COUNTER-QILOCKWISE EE ONE HOIST F'LIGHT FLA PPER DOORS FLAPPEB ooons sum TO OPEN W605: OPEN CYLINDER CYLINDER STA'HONARY STATIONARY FL/WPER @0035 TAR To @PEN CYLINDER TURNS; 280 CiOCKWQSE ENVENTORS waumm THoM-As &

BY RALPH L, TW EE W LE ATTORNEY MxT'HoasT macaw July 9, 1946. w. THOMAS ETAL 2,403,884.

AMMUNITION CO'NVEYER Original Filed Aug. 29, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5- INVENTORS WILLIAM THOMAS 29 BY RALPH L. TWEEDALE WJM ATTORNEY Patented July 9, 1946 AMIHUNITION CONVEYER William Thomas and Ralph L. Tweedale, Waterbury, Conn., assignors to The Waterbury Tool Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application August 29, 1936, Serial No. 98,530 Renewed October 28, 1939 9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to power transmissions and more particularly to a conveyer for delivering articles from one station to another wherein a fire hazard is present at one station and in which it is desired to prevent the possibility of flame transmission between the two stations at all times, while permitting the continued passage of articles between the stations. The invention is particularly adapted to delivering ammunition aboard ship from an ammunition storage compartment to a position at the guns for use therein, although it will be understood that the invention may be adapted to other uses wherein similar conditions and problems are encountered.

It is customary in war vessels to locate the ammunition magazines or storage chambers in the lower part of the ship where the possibility of their contents being exploded by enemy projectiles is most remote. The guns which use the ammunition being situated on the upper decks of the ship, either in turrets or on deck mountings, it is necessary to provide means for conveying ammunition from the magazine to a position near the guns where it may be readily placed in the guns as needed.

Various types of conveyers have been heretofore provided for this purpose and where high rates of delivery to rapid firin guns are required, the so-called dredger type ammunition hoists have marked advantages over other types in use. Such a hoist usually comprises an endless chain conveyer which is encased in a continuous tubular hoist trunk or casing extending through the ship from the loading station in or adjacent the magazine to the unloading station adjacent the gun. This continuous hoist trunk provides a conduit which introduces the possibility of flame transmission to the magazine whenever accidenta1 explosions occur at the gun or whenever an enemy projectile explodes in or near the hoist trunk.

In order to break this continuous path for flame travel to the magazine, it has been found necesray heretofore to deliver the ammunition in two stages by two entirely independent ammunition hoists with a transfer station where the ammunition is carried manually from the delivery end of the lower hoist to the loading end of the upper hoist. This construction, while satisfactory from the standpoint of safety of the installation and effectiveness to prevent the transmission of flarebacks to the magazine, adds considerably to the weight and cost of the installation since each of the two sections of the hoist must be provided with its own independent drive mechanism. Furthermore additional crew is required for handling ammunition at the transfer station, which not only increases the number of men required for each gun to be fired but presents also a retarding element in the delivery of ammunition since it introduces one more place for unavoidable human errors and delays to interfere with the intended operation of the hoist.

It is an object of the present invention to'provide a conveyer particularly adapted for delivery of ammunition directly between loading station adjacent the magazine and an unloading station adjacent the gun by which ammunition may be delivered through a continuous closed casing whereby transmission of flare-backs to the loading station may be prevented without requiring an intermediate transfer station.

It is also an object to provide a conveyer'for delivering articles between two stations which are separated by a flame-proof wall having an opening at one station adjacent the conveyer and in which is incorporated means for passing articles through the opening while maintaining a flameproof seal at all times.

A further object is to provide a loading station for a conveyer havin a rotary article passing mechanism which is actuated by power driven means in timed relation to the operation of the conveyer.

It is also an object to provide a loading station for a conveyer in which a cylindrical article passing member is mounted in a wall opening .andis provided with a plurality of article receiving recesses adapted to be sequentially brought into position for receiving an article andthereafter brought into position for delivering that article to the conveyer.

A further object is to provide a loading station for a conveyer having an article passing mechanismwherein a gravity operated table or chute is provided on which a limited quantity of articles may be placed independently of the operation of the article passing means and from which the articles will feed automatically to the article passing mechanism as required.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferredform of the present invention is clearly shown.

.In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic cross section of a ship incorporating a preferred form of the present invention.

Fig, 2 is a fragmentary side view of a conveyer to the fluid motor 42.

its upper end a bore 55 in which is mounted a loading station incorporating the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a side view partly in section of the opposite side of the loading station.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View showing the hydraulic circuits incorporated in the conveyer drive and control mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a timing diagram showing the sequence of various events in the normal operating cycle of the apparatus.

Referring now to Fig. 1 there is indicated diagrammatically a portion of a longitudinal section of a war vessel having superimposed decks ID of usual construction, the spaces between which are divided by partitions l2 into suitable compartments. Indicated at I4 is a deck gun and at It a revolving turret having two Or more guns I8 mounted thereon in the usual fashion. Adjacent the gun I4 is mounted the delivery head 24 of a dredger type ammunition hoist 2i having a trunk 22 extending downwardly through the vessel to a compartment 24 which may be either a magazine compartment for the storage of ammunition or a handling rOOIll adjacent such a compartment and in which is located the loading end 25 of the hoist 2! together with suitable driving mechanism for the hoist. In the turret i6 is mounted a delivery head 25 of a second dredger type ammunition hoist 21 having a trunk 28 extending Vertically downward to a compartment 30 similar to the compartment 24, in which is located the loading end 32 and the necessary driving mechanism for the hoist 21. The hoist trunk 28 is shown secured to the top deck It at the center of rotation of the turret i6 and is stationary relative to the turret although it will be understood that the ammunition hoist 21 may be mounted to revolve with the turret l5 if desired.

Referring now to Figs. 2 through 6 wherein the construction of the loading ends 25 and 32 is 11- lustrated in detail, there is shown a casing 34 forming the lower end of the hoist trunk to which the casing 34 may be tightly sealed at the flange 36. The casing 34 serves not only to enclose the drive sprockets 4i! and hoist chain or cenveyer band 38, having conveyor lugs 35, but also as a mounting for the hoist driving and control mechanism. The latter may be of any suitable construction. control therefor illustrated comprises a fluid motor 42 adapted to drive the sprockets 40 through a worm drive 44. A variable displacement pump 45 (see Fig. 5) and auxiliary pump 43 are driven by an electric motor 55 to supply fluid to the motor 42 through a control unit 52. The control unit 52 is constructed to control the displacement of the pump 46 and to control communication between the pump 46 and the motor 42 through conduits 54 in a manner to provide for automatically moving the hoist chain 38 through one flight whenever a starting shot of fluid from the auxiliary pump 48 is admitted to the device 52 through a control conduit 55.

For this purpose the control unit 52 comprises a body 4| having a cylindrical bore 43 in which is mounted a spool valve 45 for the purpose of blocking or opening the passage of oil between the conduits 54 and conduits 41. A second cylindrical chamber 45 carries a spool valve 5| for the purpose of reversing the flow between the conduits 41 and a pair of conduits 53 which lead The body 4| also has at The form of drive mechanism and 5% spool valve 51 for controlling the stroke regulating fluid motor of the pump 45. A conduit 59 extends from the auxiliary pump 48 to the upper end of the bore 55 while a conduit 61 enters the bore 55 at its mid-portion. The valve 51 is adapted to selectively control and reverse the connections of the conduits 59 and iii with a pair of conduits G3 and leading to opposite ends of the stroke regulating mechanism at the pump 45. The valves 45 and 51 are formed integrally upon a common stem having an enlarged portion 51 around which is slidably mounted a hit piston 59. The latter has a cylindrical upper portion 11 slidably fitted in a chamber 13 which communicates with the upper end of the bore 55 through a passage 15 formed in the spool of valve 5?. The piston 69 has a portion 11 of larger diameter than the portion 1i and slidably fitted in a chamber 1'9 to which the conduit 56 leads. The bottom wall of the piston 59 is provided with an opening forming a clear passage around the stem of valve 45 and having a seat on which the enlarged portion 6? of the stem is adapted to rest for the purpose of closing this passage. The space inside the piston 11 communicates with the tank through a passage 8! formed in the stem of the valve 45. At its lower end the valve stem has a roller 83 acting as a follower for a cam 85. The latter is connected by a suitable drive means not shown to the shaft of the sprockets 49 so that the cam makes one revolution while the chain 38 travels through one flight distance. The cam 85 has a depression in which the roller 83 is shown at rest. In this position the valve 45 is completely closed while the valve 51 connects the conduit 63 to the pressure line 59 and the conduit 65 to the tank line Bl. To either side of this depression are elevated portions 81 which hold the valves in such a position that the valve 45 is opened to a considerable degree while the valve 51 still connects conduit 53 with conduit 58 and conduit 65 with conduit Bi. The remainder of the periphery of the cam 85 is raised still further so as to completely open the valve 45 and to reverse the connections at the valve 51. Whenthe valves are raised to this upper extreme position the valve stem has been lifted higher than it is possible to lift the piston 69, so that the enlarged portion 61 lifts away from the seat in the bottom wall of the piston 69. The cam 35 and its drive mechanism are enclosed in a suitable oil-tight housing not shown, the interior of which is connected to tank.

The entire arrangement of the control unit 52 is such that whenever a shot of oil is admitted through the conduit 55 to the chamber 19, the piston 69 is lifted due to the enlarged portion 61 being on its seat in the bottom wall of the piston 69. The piston 59 and both valves 45 and 51 are accordingly lifted to a position just short of the highest position to which the cam would lift them. Thus the valve 45 is opened and the valve 51 is reversed to cause the stroke of the pump 45 to be increased at a rate determined by the volumetric capacity of the auxiliary pump 48. Oil is delivered to and returned from the fluid motor 42 through the conduits 54, 41, and 53, thus causing the motor 42 to operate, turning the cam 85. The latter will contact the roller 83 after about of a revolution when the highest part of the cam strikes the roller 83, thus lifting the valves 45 and 51 a further amount. This additional lift raises the enlarged portion 61 off from the seat in the bottom wall of the piston 69, thus permitting the oil trapped in the chamber I9 to escape through the opening in the bottom wall of the piston 69 and through the passage 8| to tank. As soon as the cam has completed an approximate /2 revolution in addition, the roller 83 drops down to the cam portion 81, thus reversing connections at valve 51 but not completely closing the valve 35. The stroke of the pump 45 is thus reduced at a rate determined by the capacity of pump 48 causing the motor @2 to decelerate. When the cam 85 has completed a revolution, the roller 83 returns to the position shown in the drawings, completely closing the valve 45. At this time the enlarged portion 61 again comes to rest on its seat in the bottom wall of piston 69, thus placing the apparatus in condition for restarting whenever another shot of oil is introduced to the conduit 56. It will be noted that should a shot of oil be introduced to the conduit 56 before the cam 85 has made one revolution, the lift piston 69 will not rise because a free path is opened from the chamber E9 to tank through the passage in which the enlarged portion 61 seats. It will also be noted that oil pressure from the auxiliary pump is constantly exerted over the 9 upper end of the valve 51 creating a bias for the entire stem assembly in the downward direction. Likewise this pressure is exerted over the annular area at the top of the portion I! of the lift piston 69 biasing the latter downwardly whenever pressure is relieved in the chamber 79 by'the opening of the passage through the bottom wall of the piston 69. v

'The casing 34 is provided on its front face with an outward extension 55 having an opening 66 of proper size and shape to permit a piece of ammunition to pass therethrough. The extension 53 is hinged to the casing at 62 along one edge thereof and is adapted to be clamped in sealing enga ement therewith by suitable securing means 65. The extension 58 is formed with a cylindrical recess 66 within which is mounted a transfer cylinder 68. The cylinder 58 is pivoted on bearings iii at the top and bottom ends thereof. The cylinder 68 is provided with recesses 72 and 'I-i of suitable shape to receive a piece of ammunition within the confines of the cylinder so that the latter may rotate between the position illustrated and a position 180 away, in which the recess M is in register with the opening 56 and recess '82 is opposite the chain 38.

The lower end of the cylinder tit has secured thereto a shaft 56 having a flange i8 rigidly secured thereto. lhe flange i8 is provided with diametrically opposite V shaped grooves 88 which are adapted to receive corresponding projections 82 formed on a pinion 8Q freely rotatable on the shaft 76. A spring 85 urges the pinion 83 upwardly in Fig. 2 to engage the projections 52 in the grooves 80. Pinion 84 meshes with a segmental gear 88 formed on an arm 98 pivoted at 92 to the bottom end of the extension 53. On

the opposite side of the pivot 92 the arm 98 carries a depending pin 94 adapted to seat in a groove 96 of a cam 98. The cam 98 is rotatable on a shaft H86 secured in a boss I182. The 'cam 93 has integrally secured thereto a bevel gear IM and a wing cam I86. A bevel pinion IE3 is keyed to a shaft IIiJ projecting into the casing of the worm drive 5 on the interior of which the shaft IIO carries a bevel gear I I2 meshing with a bevel gear H4. The latter is secured to a spur gear II6 meshing with a spur gear H8 secured to the sprocket shaft I26. 1

Pivotally mounted in the casing 34 adjacent to pivot shafts I2 l which extend below the'bot-' tom of extension 58 and are cross connected for simultaneous operation by a cross rod I25 and arms I21. One of the shafts I 25 also carries secured to its lower end a trip arm I23 extending into the path of the wing cam H16 whereby the latter may swing the doors I22 openat certain times. Spring means, not shown, are provided for normally maintaining the flapper doors in the position illustrated in Fig. 4. The other pivot shaft I25 carries at its lower end a cam I39 adapted to actuate through a roller follower I 32; a lever 43% pivoted to the casing 34% at The opposite end of the lever E34 is connected to actuate a stem I 38 of a flapper door interlock valve It? which is adapted to close communication between conduit 56 and a conduitifl formed in a valve block 56 (see Fig. 5) whenever the flapper doors I22 are open. p a

Pivotally mounted in the casing 36 adjacent the lower edge of the recess 65 at 5% is a lower trip arm M8 adapted to be depressed-by-apiece of ammunition such as E55 when it is placed in position on the hoist chain The lower trip M8 is connected by an arm to a lower trip valve res mounted in valve block I56; An upper trip valve E58 is also mounted in the block IE6 and is adapted to be actuated by a solenoid 68 which in turn is controlled by anupper trip I62 located at the delivery end of the hoist.{ valve HM is adapted to connect a conduit I54 with a conduit I68 when the trip I48 is depressed'and to connect conduit Iii-i with a conduit i593 when the trip I48 is raised. The valve I55 is adapted to open communication between the conduit I64 and the conduit IE2 whenever the solenoid I623 is energized and to close communication-when the solenoid is deenergized.

The solenoid I86 is under the control of upper I 12 connects the solenoid to the switch I153 so.

that the solenoid will be energized whenever the trip IE2 is released by the removal of ammunition from the delivery end of the hoist. With'reverse lever I'M set for lowering ammunition the switch.

I12 connects the solenoid I66 to the switch *Iiil for opposite action. The lever I'M also controls a reversing valve 5'56 for selectively connecting either the conduit I68 or the conduit iiiflwith a conduit i'i8 leading from the auxiliary pump 43, as well as controlling valve ii for reversingoperation of motor 2.

Inoperation, with motor 59 and pumps' lfi and 18 running, and with the hoist at rest due to the presence of apiece of ammunition at the delivery station, trip I62 keeps thesolenoid IE3 deenergized so that pressure flui'dfr orn the pump 58 is blocked off from the conduit 55 at the valve I58. Assuminga piece of ammunition tophave dropped from the recess I4 and to lie on the chain 38 and the lower trip I43, as in Fig 5; and assuming the flapper doors I22 to have closed; as soon asthe ammunition is removedfrom the The delivery station, trip I 62 is released to energize solenoid I65 opening valve I58 to admit pressure fluid to the conduits I42 and 56. The control unit 52 in response to the admission of pressure fluid to the conduit 56 causes the fluid motor 42 to drive the sprockets 40 and chain 33 through one flight; that is, through the distance required to bring the next lug 39 into rest position as illustrated in Fig. 5. As soon as the chain 38 starts to move, cams 98 and I08 are caused to rotate by the gearing H6, H8, H2, H4 and shaft H8. The gear ratio between shaft IN and cam 98 is such as to produce one half a revolution of the cam 98 while the hoist chain 38 moves the distance of one flight.

Referring now to Fig. 6, with the cams 98 and I06 moving in the direction of the arrow and starting in the opposite direction at the point A the cylinder 68 is given a half rotation while the pin 94 moves through the angle AB inasmuch as the pin 94 during this motion is moved inwardly toward the shaft I00. Consequently operating arm 98 and pinion 84 turn the cylinder 68 one half revolution counterclockwise bringing the recess I4 into register with the opening 60 and bringing the recess I2 into position opposite the hoist chain 38. During movement through the angle between B and C the pin 94 and cylinder 68 are stationary. At the point D the wing cam I06 begins to engage the trip arm I28 and as the arm moves from D to E the doors I22 are completely opened at E where the cam I06 clears the trip arm I28. During movement from D to E the ammunition I50 falls by gravity on to the chain 38 and depresses the lower trip lever I48. As the position C is reached, the cams 98 and I06 come to rest since they are geared to the shaft I20 to make one half revolution during one hoist flight. As soon as the next piece of ammunition is removed from the delivery end of the hoist, fluid is again admitted to the control unit 52 through the interlock valve I56 and conduit 56 to start the next hoist flight during which the pin 94 moves from C to A and a similar sequence is repeated except that the pin 94 is moved outwardly from the shaft I and the rotation of cylinder 68 is consequently in the opposite direction. The same cycle of operations are continued as long as ammunition is fed through the opening 60 and is removed from the delivery end 20.

In order to make the operation of the hoist less dependent upon precise timing of the manual loading operation at the opening 69, a sloping loading table I80 is provided at one side of the extension 58 upon which several pieces of ammunition may be placed to roll by gravity into the recesses I2 and I4 as an empty recess is presented at the opening 60.

If at any time during the operation of the hoist an accidental explosion should occur adjacent the gun or in the hoist trunk itself due to a hit by an enemy shell, the transmission of flarebacks or flame travel of any kind to the compartments 24 and 35 is effectively prevented at the loading stations 25 and 32. It will be noted that no matter what the position of the cylinder 68 there is no path for flame to travel from the interior of the casing 34 to the exterior thereof. The cylinder 68 forms a seal at the opening 80 by its engagement with the recess 56 and any gas pressure existing in the casing 34 above the pressure outside thereof tends to force the cylinder 68 into tighter engagement with the walls of the opening 60. The arc of contact of the re- 8 cess 66 with the cylinder 68 is substantially greater than the arc subtended by the recesses I2 and I4. By this construction it is insured that the opening through which ammunition is passed to the hoist chain 38 is maintained sealed at all times.

Should for any reason a piece of ammunition become jammed between one edge of the opening and the opposite edge of a recess I2 or I4, damage to the mechanism is prevented by the clutch mechanism 8D-82 which permits the pinion 84 to continue its travel as determined by the segment 88 without carrying the cylinder 68 along with it. In the event of such a jam, the hoist is stopped automatically at the end of the cycle during which the jamming took place since there is no ammunition in position on the chain 38 to depress the lower trip I48. The hoist may be again started by manually prying the cylinder 68 back into the rest position illustrated in the drawings when projection 82 will again register with notch 80. The ammunition may then be properly placed in recess I2 and the hoist started by manually actuating the lower trip interlock valve by an emergency lever I82.

Should a piece of ammunition fail to properly fall from the innermost recess on to the hoist chain when the flapper doors I22 are open, the hoist will not start because either the flapper doors will be held open by the ammunition lying in improper position, partly in the recess I4 and partly on the chain 33; or if the ammunition sticks entirely in the recess I4, the lower trip I48 will not be depressed. In the former event the trouble may be remedied by loosening the fastenings B4 and swinging the entire extension 58 open to remove the misplaced ammunition; while in the latter case, the handle I82 may be actuated to operate the hoist through one empty flight thus bringing the recess in which ammunition is stuck around to the loading opening 60 where the ammunition may be freed.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a conveyer for delivering ammunition between a loading station adjacent a storage compartment and a station for use and having an endless flexible ammunition conveyer band, a flame-proof casing surrounding the conveyer band and means for driving the conveyer band in intermittent cycles of movement, the combination with the conveyer. of means for passing ammunition into said casing at the loading station and means operated from the conveyer driving means for driving the ammunition passing means during the initial portion of a cycle of movement of the conveyer band and operable to hold the ammunition passing means stationary during the remainder of the cycle whereby the ammunition passing means is gradually accelerated as the conveyer accelerates during the initial portion of the cycle.

2. In a conveyer for delivering articles between two stations the combination of an endless flexible conveyer band, means for driving said conveyer band in intermittent cycles of movement, means forming a flame-proof wall between said conveyer band and one of said stations, said wall having on opening adjacent the conveyer band through which articles may pass, means associated with said opening for passing articles therethrough and cooperating with said openin for maintaining said opening sealed against the passage of flame, and means operated from the conveyer driving means for driving the article passing means during the initial portion of a cycle of movement of the conveyer band and operable to hold said last named means stationary during the remainder of the cycle whereby the article passing means is gradually accelerated as the conveyer accelerates during the initial portion of the cycle.

3. In a conveyer for delivering ammunition between a loading station adjacent a storage compartment and a station for use and having an endless flexible ammunition conveyer band having ammunition carrying lugs projecting laterally from said band at intervals along its length, a flame-proof casing surrounding the conveyer band and means for driving the conveyer band in intermittent cycles of movement starting and terminating with a carrying lug in a predetermined position, the combination with the conveyer of means for passing ammunition into said casing at the loading station including a rotatable cylinder having a plurality of ammunition receiving recesses, said cylinder being positioned so that ammunition in said recesses is clear of the path of ammunition on said lugs, means cooperating with the ammunition passing means for maintaining a flame-proof seal between the inside and outside of the casing at all times and means for operating the ammunition passing means during a portion of the cycle when a carrying lug lies between the ends of the cylinder.

4. In a conveyer for delivering articles between two stations the combination of an endless flexible conveyer band, means for driving said conveyer band, means forming a flame-proof wall between said conveyer band and one of said stations, said wall having an opening adjacent the conveyer band through which articles may pass, means associated with said opening for passin articles therethrough including a rotatable cylinder having a plurality of article receiwng recesses and cooperating with said opening for maintaining said opening sealed against the passage of flame, and means including a displaceable barrier for preventing accidental transfer of articles from said recesses to said conveyer band.

5. In a conveyer for delivering articles between two stations the combination of an endless flexible conveyer band, means for driving said conveyer band, means forming a flame-proof wall between said conveyer band and one of said stations, said wall having an opeing adjacent the conveyer hand through which articles may pass, means associated with said opening for passing articles therethrough including a rotatable cylinder having a plurality of article receiving recesses and cooperating with said opening for maintaining said opening sealed against the passage of flame, means including a displaceable barrier for preventing accidental transfer of articles from said recesses to said conveyer band, and means for operating said cylinder and said barrier in timed sequence.

6 In a conveyer for delivering articles between two stations the combination of an endless flexible conveyer band, means for driving said conveyer band, means forming a flame-proof wall between said conveyer band and one of said stations, said wall having an opening adjacent the conveyer band through which articles may pass, means associated with said opening for passing articles therethrough including a rotatable cylinder having a plurality of article receiving recesses and cooperating with said opening for maintaining said opening sealed against the passage of flame, means including a displaceable barrier for preventing accidental transfer of articles from said recesses to said conveyer band, and means operated from said driving mechanism including intermittent motion mechanism for rotating said cylinder in predetermined relation to movement of the conveyer and mechanism operable in timed relation to said intermittent motion mechanism for displacing said barrier while the cylinder is stationary.

7. In a conveyer for delivering articles between two stations the combination of an endless flexible conveyer band, means for driving said conveyer band, means forming a flame-proof wall between said conveyer band and one of said stations, said wall having an opening adjacent the conveyer band through which articles may pass, means associated with said opening for passing articles therethrough including a rotatable cylinder having a plurality of article receiving recesses and cooperating with said opening for maintaining said opening sealed against the passage of flame, and a displaceable barrier for at times preventing the passage of articles from said recess into position on said conveyer band.

8. In a conveyer for delivering articles between two stations the combination of an endless flexible conveyer band, means for driving said conveyer band, means forming a flame-proof wall between said conveyer band and one of said stations, said wall having an opening adjacent the coveyer band through which articles may pass, means associated with said opening for passing articles therethrough including a rotatable cylinder having an article receiving recess and cooperating with said opening for maintaining said opening sealed against the passage of flame, a displaceable barrier for at times preventing the passage of articles from said recess into position on said conveyer band, means for rotating said cylinder, and means for displacing said barrier, said two last named means being interconnected for conjoint operation.

9. In a conveyer for delivering articles between two stations the combination of an endless flexible conveyer band, means for driving said conveyer band, means forming a flame-proof wall between said conveyer band and one of said stations, said wall having an opening adjacent the conveyer band through which articles may pass, means associated with said opening for passing articles therethrough including a rotatable cylinder having an article receiving recess and cooperating with said opening for maintaining said opening sealed against the passage of flame, a displaceable barrier for at times preventing the pas-t sage of articles from said recess into position on said conveyer band, means for rotating said cylinder, and means for displacing said barrier, said two last named means being interconnected for conjoint operation and being driven from said driving means.

WILLIAM THOMAS.

RALPH L. TWEEDALE, 

